TOGA Greenhouse Strengthens the Branding of Kiringan Herbal Tourism Village as a Medicinal Plant Education Destination

Yogyakarta, Indonesia – A Family Medicinal Plants (TOGA) Greenhouse in Kiringan Herbal Tourism Village has been developed as a center for cultivation, education, and conservation of medicinal plants to strengthen the village's identity as an educational tourism destination focused on traditional herbal medicine. The initiative is part of a Community Service Program (PkM) conducted by lecturers from Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja) under the Community Partnership Empowerment Scheme of the BIMA Program funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek).

The program involved UNU Jogja lecturers and students, members of the Kiringan Herbal Tourism Village community, as well as students participating in the Community Service and Community Empowerment Program (KKN-PPM) from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). Beyond serving as a cultivation facility, the greenhouse has also been designed as a center for education, conservation, and the sustainable supply of medicinal plant materials for local herbal medicine producers.

Nur Saudah Al Arifa, Head of the Community Service Team and Chair of the Agribusiness Study Program at UNU Jogja, explained that the revitalized TOGA greenhouse was designed not only as a place to cultivate medicinal plants but also as a learning and community empowerment center.

"We hope the TOGA Greenhouse will become a learning center for medicinal plants while strengthening the branding of Kiringan Herbal Tourism Village as an educational tourism destination. In addition to serving as a learning space for local residents, students, and visitors, the harvested plants can also be used by members of the herbal medicine group as raw materials, supporting the sustainability of traditional herbal medicine production in Kiringan," she said.

According to her, the greenhouse will enrich the tourism experience in Kiringan Herbal Village. Visitors will not only enjoy the village's signature traditional herbal drinks but also gain hands-on knowledge about various medicinal plants, cultivation techniques, the health benefits of herbal species, and their use as raw materials in traditional herbal medicine production. This concept is expected to enhance the village's tourism value while encouraging visitors to stay longer.

During the program, all participants took part in practical sessions on cultivating various family medicinal plants inside the newly developed greenhouse. The collaboration between the university and the local community is expected to strengthen community capacity in medicinal plant cultivation while enhancing the attractiveness of Kiringan Herbal Tourism Village as a destination rooted in local wisdom.

The greenhouse currently cultivates a variety of medicinal plants, including red ginger, common ginger, Java turmeric (temulawak), turmeric, aromatic ginger (kencur), mango ginger, and other herbal species commonly used as raw ingredients for traditional herbal medicine. In the future, the collection will continue to expand with additional medicinal plant varieties, allowing the greenhouse to develop into a more comprehensive and representative showcase of Indonesia's herbal biodiversity.

Sudiyatmi, Head of the Marguna Community Group, welcomed the collaboration between the university and the local community. She believes the greenhouse development represents a strategic step toward ensuring the sustainability of Kiringan Herbal Tourism Village.

"We hope this collaboration will continue so that the TOGA Greenhouse can provide lasting benefits for the community. Besides functioning as an educational facility, it is expected to supply medicinal plant materials for local herbal medicine producers, while continuously expanding its collection of medicinal plants to maximize its long-term impact," she said.

As a university in Yogyakarta committed to community empowerment through the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, UNU Jogja continues to develop programs that integrate education, biodiversity conservation, community economic development, and tourism. Through the Community Partnership Empowerment Scheme of the BIMA Program, the TOGA Greenhouse is expected to become a long-term social investment that strengthens Kiringan Herbal Tourism Village's identity as a center of traditional herbal medicine while establishing it as a medicinal plant education destination that attracts tourists, students, researchers, and the wider community. [Latifah]